1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to artificial insemination and, more particularly, to an apparatus for artificially inseminating livestock.
2. Description of the Related Art
Artificial insemination (AI) is an increasingly valuable technique and management practice for the pork producer. AI allows the pork producer widespread use and dissemination of outstanding boars and increases the number of offspring from the best boars. AI is invaluable for breeding under various environmental and managerial conditions, and allows the pork producer to accelerate the introduction of new genetic material. AI also reduces the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases within the stock and prevents injuries common in natural service.
Pork producers and researchers have attempted to mimic the anatomy of a boar to make artificial insemination successful for the pork industry. In natural service the boar's penis has developed spiral glands to engage the muscular folds of the sow's cervix. This specialization locks the spiral tip of the penis in the folds of the cervix. This locking action during coitus ensures the bulk of the semen is transmitted into the uterus of the sow. The artificial insemination rods currently used by pork producers include an overmolded tip portion designed to simulate the spiral tip of the boar's penis. The insemination rod is inserted into the cervix and manipulated to simulate the natural locking action. Boar semen is then passed through the hollow rod and into the uterus.
Though artificial insemination is vital to the pork industry, insemination rods have changed little over the years despite persistent disadvantages with the overmolded tip portion. The tip portion has heretofore been available in two primary configurations, i) an elongate tip with a spiral flange or ii) a bulbous tip with a circumferential groove. Although each is designed to mimic the tip of the boar penis and lock the rod in the muscular folds of the cervix, neither configuration provides a secure interlock for the transmission of semen. Since the overmolded tip portion can separate from the hollow tube and cause blockage of the cervix, safe removal of the overmolded insemination rod is of a great concern.
Several other problems are associated with the overmolded insemination rod designs. Since the rod is often rotated to interlock within the cervix, molded material flash or sharp flange comers can cause damage to the interior wall tissue of the cervix. The material compound of the overmolded tip also presents a tradeoff between reusability and interior wall tissue damage. The molding operation used to produce the overmolded tip also unnecessarily increases the cost of the insemination rods.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art for an insemination rod design which improves securability in the cervix of a sow, which is reliably removed from the cervix, which reduces damage to the interior wall of the cervix, and which is cost effective to manufacture.